Automobile-lock.



J. STANLEY. AUTOMOBILE LOCK. APPLICATLON FILED APR. 25. ms.

Patented Feb.

r to extend below AUTOMOBILE-LOGK Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 25, 1919'.

Application filed April 25, 1918. Serial 0. 230,769.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JoHN STANLEY; a citi- Zen, of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State ofWa-shington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automobile-Locks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in the autom0bile-lock which is illustrated and described in United States Patent' No. 1,257,039 granted to me February 19, 1918.

T e principal object of my improvements is the provision of a novel construction of casing for housing a lock mechanism substantially as described in theabove mentioned patent whereby the applications of the lock are extended to various forms of steering devices. A further object is to simplify and lessen the cost of manufacture and also render the lock capable of being applied to a steering post and column at a smaller cost. A still further object is to provide a device or" this character wherein the combinations of the loclcmechanism' may be readily adjusted b persons authorized to effect the same, ut safe-guarded from being tampered with by others.

The invention consists in the novel construction, adaption and combination of devices to render t e lock capable of attaining the above noted objects.

In the accompanying drawings,-

Figure 1 is a'side elevation of my improved lock shown applied to an automobile steering column. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the device taken through 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view through 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a sectional view through 4-4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 illustrating the lock in disengaged condition.

Referring to said drawings, the numeral 10 designates a tubular steering column through which extends a steering shaft 11 having secured to its upper end a steering giliieel 12 as commonly arranged on automoes. According to the present invention a sleeve 13 is fixedly secured to the hub 12 of the steering wheel as by means of screw threaded bolts 14. Said sleeve is of a length said wheel hub and adjacent is provided in its periphery being Said sleeve, furto its lower end shown in Figs. 3 and 5.

wardly from the outer end 23 thermore, extends into the upper end 16 of a casing having its lower end 17 rigidly secured as by means of screw threaded bolts 18 to the steering column 10.

The screw bolts 14 and 18 are, in practice, formed with slotted heads, not shown,-to accommodate a screw driver by which the bolts are inserted and, after the latter are engaged, said head are sawed ofi or otherwise removed.

Formed integral with the casing part 16 and extending radially therefrom is a hollow boss 19 which is from its outer end to a shoulder 21. A centrally apertured disk 22 is held against said shoulder by a cylinder 23 which is secured in the counterbore of the boss 19 by means of slotted screws 24 extending through the peripheral wall of the boss to engage in threaded holes, such as 25, in the cylinder.

.Made integral with and extending inof said cylinder 1s a bushing 23 which serves with the disk 22 as a guide for a locking bolt 26 disposed axially of the boss and adapted to engage in a selected one of the apertures 15 of the sleeve 13.

Rotatably mounted upon the bushing 23 is an inner rin 27 from which extend two pins 27 and 2 3 the same being fastened in selected holes provided therefor in the inner face of the ring. An outer ring 28 is rotatably seated against the end of the cylinder and is provided with a pin 28 exannular groove provided in the cylinder end .z-

23 and is rigidly secured to the latter by screws 31, as shown in Fig. 3.

The thickness of the crown piece 29 where it abuts the outer end of the cylinderis reduced to form shoulders, as 29 which against said inner and outer rings to rat" the same in operative positions against the outer end of the cylinder.

The crown piece 29, inner ring 27 and outer ring 28 are each provided with a slot, as respectively indicated in Fig. 4 by nuinerals 32, 33 and 34, and asthe crown piece is stationary and the ring pin 28 rotatable, it will be evident that the slots 33 and 34 may be brought to register one with theother counterbored, as at 20,

securely :afiord a continuous sl den 23 and dof thereon.

Q Within said cylin'der and extending radially from said arbor is a finger 37 ,'in the nature of a rod having a screw threaded inner end engagealble with, or disengageable from, a threaded hole in the locking bolt by means of ascrew driver introduced through one of the cylinder holes, 25, when the latter are eigposed by the cap being in its outermost position as shown in Fig. 5. The length of the bolt 26 is such that itmay engage in an aperture 15 of the sleeve 13 when the cap 36 is in position shown in Fig. 3

inder, and which spring tends toyieldingly hold the cap in the position in which it is illustrated in Fig. 3.

39 and 40, Fig. 3 represent springs respectively positioned in recesses rovided in said inner and outer rings and earing against the cylinder for the purpose of yieldingly I holding the same in set positions and also to I operates may be Y to the steering colum 10.

' move when the locking bolt to move in either rotary direction,

shown in obviate .any 'looseness or rattling when the vehicle is in motion.

The manner in which my lock is used and descri ed as follows lhe device, as above explained, is fixedly secured to the steerin wheel hub so that the locking bolt is posi ioned to engage in an a sleeve 13 when the front w eels of the vehicle to whi is ap the right or left, as the case may be, diameters of said aperture being such. that the locking bolt will readily enter therein.

The device is in the unlocked position 26 is clear of the sleeve 13, and the steering wheel is therefore free the cap 36 being then in its outermost position, as Fig. 3, while the finger 37 occupies the slots in the rings and crown piece 29 On the car being brought to a standstill and it being' desired they are inclined to the right or left, as required, unt'l the locking bolt 26 registers with one of the openings the sleeve, whereupon the cap36 may wardly to engage the point of the locking bolt in. the sleevewhich is rigidly connected This movement carries the finger 37 out of said slots, clear of the teeth of the crown piece 29 when, by giving the the ri ht or left, the rings 27 to breakthe continuity of slots and the steering wheel-will be looked, as the locking bolt cannot be withdrawn unless the cap a turn to ing position contact of finger 37 with crown piece possible.

to lock the front wheels,-

be pushed in- 'and.28 will be to effect the adjustto present their slots into position to receive the finger 37 is known.

To unlock the steering wheel, the cap 36 is first turned clockwise until finger strikes a of the slot the startis then turned clockwise at the same feeling the the teeth of the and counting each tooth until the finger contacting with a pin 28 carries ring 28 around until. its slot 3 1 registers with the slot 32 of the crown piece. The cap 36 is then turned counter-clockwise until finger 33 contacting with the pin 27 carries ring 2 around until its slot 33 registers with crown giece slot, whereupon a continuous slot will I e formed, the finger ried thereinto by the spring 38 and simultaneously withdraw the locking its engagement with the sleeve 13 the turning of the shaft 11.

It will be noticed that in order to effect the unlocking of the steering wheel it is combination necessary ments of the rings 37 which will be-carpin from necessarg to know the comb'nation that is,

slots, and as this knowledge is confined to the operator of the car it is obvious that an' unauthorized unlocking of the wheel is Many difierent combinations may beobtained by setting the pins 27 27 different positions in the rings 27 and 28, but which can only be done when the bolt 26 is disengaged from the sleeve and the cap 36 is in the retracted position in which it is shown in Fi withdrawn for the removal of the cylinder 23. After the c linder is thus removed,

'What I claim, 1s:

' 1. In an automobile, a tubular steering column, a steering shaft extending therethrough, a steering wheel secured to the upper end of said steering shaft,

and a perlpherally apertured sleeve rigidly secured to'the hub of' said wheel, of a casing g. 5 to enable the screws 2 being 2 and 28 in the I pins may be shi ted into desired positions.

' the combination with f rigidly secured to said column and extending over thelower end casing being provided counterbored to provide of said sleeve, said a shoulder, a lockwith a hollowboss ing bolt provided in said boss and engagesaid sleeve to secure/the wheel and shaft'against rotation, an apertured guide disk for said locking bolt seated on said shoulder, locking mechanism including a cylinder detachably mounted within said boss and against said guide 'diskfor controlling the action of said bolt,

and manually actuated means for regulating said locking mechanism through the medium ,nected within said boss of said bolt to efi'ect the engagement or disengagement of the latter with respect to said sleeve.

2. In an automobile, the combination with steering mechanism including a column, 'a steering-shaft, a steering-wheel, secured to said shaft, and an apertured sleeve secured to and extending below, the hub of said Wheel, of a casing rigidly secured to said columnysaid casing being provided with a chambered boss, a cylinder detacl ably conby a screw extending through the peripheral wall of the lattena locking bolt extending through said cylinder and engageable withln an'aperture of said sleeve 'for securing the sleeve and wheel against rotation, combination. lock mechanism within the cylinder for controlling the axial movements of said bolt, means provided on the bolt and rendered operable by the rotation of the bolt for regulatin' said lock mechanism, and a cap secured to t e end of said bolt whereby rotary and axial movements of the bolt are effected. v I 3. an automobile, theqcombination' with a steering mechanism including a column, a steering shaft asteering-wheel secured to said shaft, and an apertured sleeve secured to and extending below the hub of said wheel, of a casing rigidly secured'to said column, said casing being provided with a chambered. boss, a cylinder detachably connected within said boss by a screw extending through the peripheral wall of the latter,

said lock mechanism, and a cap secured to an end of saidvbolt whereby i rotary and axial movements'of the boltare effected, said capbeing arranged to serve as a guard to prevent said; screw beings-emoved when the bolt is in'engaged position with respect to said sleeve. I

Signed at Seattle, this 17th day ofApril, 1918.

t JOHN suntan Witnesses-z.

PIERRE BARNES, HANNAH Jones. 

